Envelop-opening device.



E GB ZZARD. BNVELOP OPENING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 10,1913.

Patented Apr. 21, 1914.

To all whom it may concern:

, ture of the flap with 4 U ED TATE "OFFICE.

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Be it known that I, HENRY E. GRIZZARD, a citizen of theUnited States, residing at Franklin, in the county of Southampton and State of Virginia, have invented certain new and useful Im rovements in Envelop- Opening Devices, 0 whichthefollowing is a specification. I

This invention relates to envelops equipped with openers.

It is one of the objects to provide an envelop with which, itself, will not be exterior of the envelop but which may be readily operated in a manner to easily open the envelop.

of my invention an opening means 4 A further object of my invention is to provide an envelop with, an opener which will not unnecessarilymutilate the body of the envelop and which preferably operates to open the envelop coincident with the the envelop body.

A further object of my invention is to provide an opening, side of the envelop, to permit insertion of the finger so as to grasp one end of the cord opener to tear open the envelop. In this connectionl preferably provide a raised portion, adjacent such opening, soas to prevent the opening from acting objectionably in catching other mail matter by the corners and otherwise retarding the assembling of letters into bundles or packages.

The device of my invention will be more fully described in connection with the accompanying drawing and will be more particularly pointed out in and by the appended clalm.

In the drawing: Figure 1 is a rear viewof an envelop with the flap in an open position and the device of .my invention applied thereto. Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the upper right-hand corner of theenvelop. Fig. 3 is asectional view on line 22 .of Fig. 2.

Like characters of similar parts throughout the different figures of the drawing.

I have shown in the drawing an ordinary form of envelop in which the front side is indicated at 1, the rear side at. 2, and the flap at3r." The flap is provided with the usual gummed sealing material 4, and 5 in-' dicates the juncture of. the flap with the 611-.

ImvELor-ornnmo amvrcn.

Specification Letters Patent. Application filed m 10, 1913. Serial No. 77

visible from the on a line substantially score line at the junc-- .preferably in the front .velop. It will be string might pull out reference designate Patented Apr. 21, 914. ,sss.

the envelop is made. In the most improved embodiment o .the' invention the cord is' gluedor gummed in place, as indicatedat 7,

true fold. At

and extends along the juncture or score line of the flapand body toward but preferably not outside of the ends of the body so that the cord opener will not bevisible, or in other words, will not project from the envelop body.-

In order to insure complete severance of the envelop throughout the juncture. line 5, I providethe cord 6 with one or more onla-rgements which may be in the form of knots 8, so as to provide for such accumulation of'gum thereabout as to insure a very firm anchorage of the knotted end so that when the opposite end of the cord is pulled .to tear the envelop the line of tear or rip will extend completely lengthwise of the en readily understood that if the string were not securely gummed at all intermediate points, it would, nevertheless, provide for a complete severance of the envelop by reason of lengthsof the string mi'nal end were not securely gummed the before the envelop. had been completely severed throughout its length and therefore the enlarged or knotted end performs a very useful function.

In order to facilitate location of that end of the string to be grasped in openin the envelop, I provide an opening which is desirably 'corneron the front side of the envelop, as indicated at- 9. This opening renders a small portion of the-opening end 10, of the cord 6 accessible f0 r,a short length and per- ,2 so as to tear the envelop 0n the juncture.

line 5.

the securely gummed subsequent to the im-' perfectly gummed lengths, but if the ter-- arranged at the upper right-hand hold ofthe string It will be readily seen that on the ordinary correspondence or business envelop I can provide a very fine string which will not bulge the envelop or in any Way detract from the appearance of the same and which will not in anyway discommode the user in the operation of inserting matter in the envelop.

I provlde the opening 9 at the upper.

ther avoiding any objectionable engagement.

of the corners of the letters therein.

In view of the fact that the envelop is opened at the juncture line 5, the usefulness of the envelop as a container for its contents, subsequent to the receipt thereof, will not be in any way impaired. Furthermore, the opening 9 is in full view of the receiver and is disposed at the stamped corner so as to clearly invite use of the string in opening the envelop as it is'customary to open the envelop from the stamped corner.

While I prefer to provide an opening in the envelop to render the string accessible at at least one portion of its length, still, the device of my invention may be useful with a completely closed envelop as any one familiar with the device could readily grasp the string by slightly tearing one corner or by grasping the string on opposite sides through the thicknesses of the front and back of the envelop. It is also possible that the invention might be serviceable by utilizing the enlarged or knotted portions to facilitate grasping one portion of the string for tearing the envelop open thereby omitting the opening 9.

While I have herein shown and described one specific form of my invention I do not wish to be limited thereby except for such limitations as the claim may import.

I claim:

An envelop opening device comprising an .envelop having a stringopener gummed throughout its length inside of one marginal fold of and extending substantially throughoutthe length of such fold but not outside of the envelop, the envelop having an opening near one end of the cord extending in advance of the line of fold and string and along one side portion of the envelop and the remaining side portion and the fold to which the string is attached being imperforate whereby the string may be gnmmed to the fold throughout the length of that portion of the string extending 1lO11 ',tll0 opening, and the remaining end of the string being knotted to collect larger masses of the gum and prevent detachment of the string when the same is being pulled to open the envelop, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof-I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

HENRY E. GRIZZARD. Witnesses:

E. It. CARR, Tnos. D. BOONE. 

